Aggies' Paint Domination Not Enough Against Blue Raiders at Murphy Athletic Center
The New Mexico State Aggies faced a challenging contest against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, culminating in a 69-76 defeat. The Aggies now stand with an unbalanced record, while the Blue Raiders improved their standing. Despite a strong start by the Aggies, leading to a halftime advantage, they were unable to maintain their momentum in the second half.
The New Mexico State Aggies demonstrated remarkable efficiency from two-point range, converting 54 percent of their attempts. Their offensive efforts were led by scoring 34 points in the paint and securing nine second-chance points. The team's rebounding was also noteworthy as they grabbed a total of 35 rebounds, with ten on the offensive glass contributing to their second-chance opportunities.
Defensively, the Aggies managed four blocks and three steals but committed 21 personal fouls which led to two players being fouled out of the game. They maintained discipline regarding turnovers with only seven for the game and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.14.
On special teams plays, despite one flagrant foul committed by them, they capitalized on fast-break opportunities resulting in five fast break points. However, free throw shooting was less than ideal for them as they made just six out of eleven attempts from the charity stripe.
In contrast to this effort from New Mexico State Aggies' side was that of Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders who showed resilience especially after halftime where they scored an impressive 52 points compared to their first-half tally of just 24 points. The home team's shooting accuracy was slightly lower overall at 46 percent field goal percentage but higher from beyond the arc hitting at a rate of 33 percent with nine three-pointers made.
The Blue Raiders also excelled at free throws making an impressive nineteen out of twenty-three which translated into an eighty-three percent success rate – significantly contributing to their victory margin over New Mexico State Aggies.
Despite these challenges faced by New Mexico State Aggie’s squad during this conference game witnessed by nearly three thousand fans at Murphy Athletic Center located in Murfreesboro; it is essential for them and their supporters not lose sight that every game presents new opportunities for growth and improvement moving forward into future contests.
Looking ahead after this tough loss on road grounds; fans can catch The New Mexico State Aggies next facing off against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on February seventeenth scheduled for one o'clock post meridiem Eastern Standard Time at E.A Diddle Arena broadcasted via ESPN+.